The Old Realms is a game utility developed for the strategy RPG Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. This free mod, powered by moddb, puts you in the world of Warhammer, specifically during the ascension of Emperor Karl Franz. As such, you get to meet and fight alongside heroes like the Son of Emperors himself and the orc warlord Grimgor Ironhide in a dark and grim fantasy world.

This crossover brings a fresh experience between two different franchises, making The Old Realms a definite must-have for Bannerlord. Other great mods to add include The Long Night and Calradia Awakens.

New story, characters, and skins

The Old Realms, like any other game mod, follows the basic gameplay mechanics of the original program. However, this drastically changes the aesthetics of the game from the realistic designs of the original game to more fantasy-based designs from Warhammer. This also reflects in the addition of other races in the game, which makes it feel separate from the original.

Also, the world you knew from Bannerlord gets a complete makeover to reflect the Warhammer universe. Forget the real-world analogs of the original, this custom game will make you feel the surreal worlds of Order and Chaos. Its intricately-designed maps really bring the story of Karl Franz’s ascension to life. These worlds also come with their own factions for you to ally with or fight against.

There are a few game problems when using the mod. First is a couple of glitches such as magic spells not working properly or driving the game to crash. It is also important to note that the mod is not compatible with all versions of the base game, particularly 1.7 onward. Still, the developers and the community are both hard at work to continue improving the mod’s support.

A welcome crossover

Whether you’re a fan of Bannerlord or of the Warhammer franchise, The Old Realms is something that won’t disappoint. Using the existing engine of the base game, it manages to create something that feels entirely different–from the characters, to the story, and even the impressively detailed set design. It may have minor flaws, but it is still a passion project of the common ground between the two franchises. Highly recommended.